


Terms of Engagement

by elaine



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-11
Updated: 2011-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-27 04:38:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elaine/pseuds/elaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey didn't expect to like Mike's grandmother so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Terms of Engagement

Harvey Specter hasn’t got to where he is today – the best closer in New York, and to hell with whatever Jessica might have to say about it – without knowing his strengths and weaknesses. Strengths, because that is what he plays to and weaknesses, so he can eliminate them.

If there’s one weakness Harvey doesn’t see the need to eliminate it’s this: Harvey has a fondness for a pretty face and it has never mattered very much whether that face was male or female. He does, however, have two rules – never sleep with married people, and never sleep with a colleague.

He’s never wanted to break one of those rules more than he does right now.

Because Mike Ross, damn him, has a very pretty face.

***

This was the first mistake – he should never have hired Mike at all. But faced with the choice between hiring one of the Harvard clones sitting in the outer office, or Mike, who reminded him far too much of his younger self, Harvey’s judgment had momentarily deserted him.

Of course, he knows how narcissistic that sounds. It _is_ narcissistic. (See? He knows his weaknesses only too well, thank you)

The point is, he hired Mike Ross, however inadvisably, and now he’s stuck with the consequences.

Harvey prides himself on accepting the consequences of his actions. It’s one of his strengths.

***

Harvey’s not entirely sure how he comes to be standing in the car park of an aged care facility, but it goes something like this: Mike Ross talks about his Gramma; not a lot, but what he does say is important. Important enough to nearly ruin a lucrative deal after Mike spent too much time talking about his Gramma to Joy McAfee.

As Mike’s boss, mentor, and the guy who stands to lose his license if Mike fucks up badly enough, Harvey needs to assess what kind of influence this unknown quantity might have on Mike.

Mostly, he gets the impression that she’d be a good advisor to Mike, but he doesn’t _know_. Leaving things to chance just isn’t in Harvey’s game plan.

Actually, the reason is, simply: Harvey isn’t accustomed to having underlings who might just put somebody else’s advice ahead of his own and he wants to assess the (potential) rival for Mike’s allegiance. Also, there’s a certain amount of vanity involved.

Harvey tells himself he’s justifiably curious.

***

Mike’s Gramma is not what Harvey expects. She has a no nonsense approach to life and they almost bond over their assessment of Trevor’s character (bad), attitude (bad), and influence over Mike (very bad). She’s got a streak of ruthlessness in her that Harvey recognizes in himself. And in Mike. He hasn’t forgotten Mike’s first day at work.

He likes her.

Still, when he leaves, after asking her not to tell Mike about his visit, he has no intention of returning. Which is why he finds this habit he’s developed of dropping by on a regular basis… puzzling.

***

It’s Harvey’s job to anticipate problems. He should have anticipated this one, but he didn’t. He looks down at Mike’s hand, fingers digging into his biceps, and says calmly. “Would you mind not creasing my suit?”

Mike hisses: “What are you _doing_ here?” He doesn’t let go.

They’re in the car park at the aged care facility and Mike’s just leapt out of the bushes and grabbed him. It’s a little ridiculous and Harvey doesn’t like being made to look ridiculous, even if Ray, waiting in the car ten feet away, is the only witness.

“I’m here to visit your grandmother.” Harvey pulls Mike’s hand away from his arm and smoothes the sleeve of his jacket. “Let’s take this inside.” He doesn’t give Mike the option of refusing, walking past him to the door. Mike follows, silently fuming. Harvey can’t see it, but he knows.

Mike catches up at the doorway. “Why are you visiting my Gramma?” He sounds aggrieved. “You realize I thought it was Louis.”

Harvey finds it mildly offensive that he could ever be mistaken for Louis. He raises his eyebrows. “Why would you think that? And how did you know anyway?”

“One of the nurses told me a lawyer was visiting Gramma.” Mike grimaces. “It’s exactly the sort of creepy thing Louis would do.”

Actually, that’s not a bad deduction. Louis would do that kind of thing. Harvey smiles approvingly. “Who’s a clever boy? Even though you were totally wrong.”

“So why _are_ you here?”

It’s beneath Harvey to explain himself, but he supposes he should throw the puppy a bone. Just a small one. “I like your grandmother.”

“That’s it?” Incredulity, annoyance. “You _like_ her?”

Harvey smiles and walks past Mike to the lounge.

She’s sitting by the window in an easy chair and her face lights up at the sight of them. Harvey takes her hand as Mike bends over to kiss her cheek. “It’s so good to see you boys together.” There’s a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. “Does this mean you’re finally coming out to me?”

“Uh… no.” As a comeback, Harvey will admit it lacks elegance, but it’s better than Mike’s response, which is to imitate a goldfish. “We ran into each other in the car park.”

“Oh, well,” she smiles slyly, “take a seat, boys.”

Harvey takes the only seat near her, leaving Mike to find one for himself. “Ms Ross, really?” He raises an eyebrow. It wasn’t easy to learn that trick. He’d practiced for hours after seeing Spock do it when he was seven.

“Well, Mike _does_ spend an awful lot of time talking about you.” Her face is entirely free of guile. Harvey is not deceived. He’s come to know her pretty well.

“Gramma!” Mike protests as he positions his chair at a small but significant distance from Harvey’s. “That’s just because all I do is work, thanks to Harvey.” He scowls darkly in Harvey’s direction.

“You’re welcome.” Harvey smirks. It annoys Mike just as much as he thought it would.

But Gramma isn’t done with them yet. “And, whenever Harvey visits, all he wants to do is hear stories about you.”

“We play chess,” Harvey protests, but he can see Mike’s furtive glance out of the corner of his eye.

“And talk about Mike.” Gramma nods. She leans forward and takes Harvey’s hand in both of hers, patting it gently. “I think you should call me Elizabeth, Harvey. Or Gramma, if you prefer.”

“Gramma, we’re not… why would you even think that… that…” Mike’s trying very hard not to look at Harvey. “I’m not even gay.”

Gramma rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. Do you really think I didn’t know what you were getting up to with Trevor in your bedroom when you were both fifteen? Gay or bi, does it really matter?”

Mike’s face is scarlet now, and he’s speechless. Harvey would be more entertained by this if he wasn’t wondering what she might say next about _him_. She’s looking at him expectantly, so he shrugs and answers truthfully. “Oh, I’m bi.” It’s not as if Mike could ever blackmail him on that account.

“There you go, then.” She beams at them both, impartially. “So, what’s the hold up?”

Harvey decides he’s enjoying himself. Mostly because it’s fun seeing Mike squirm. “Well, there’s the little issue of my being Mike’s boss. Sexual harassment. That kind of thing is frowned on at Pearson Hardman.” He smiles blandly at Mike, who blushes again, but narrows his eyes as well.

“But that wouldn’t apply if you were married,” she says innocently. (Harvey isn’t fooled one little bit. Elizabeth Ross is an evil, wicked woman). “It’s legal in New York now, isn’t it?”

Mike is making choking noises. Harvey leans back, crossing left leg over right and folding his arms. “That’s a little premature, don’t you think?”

“I’m an old woman.” She smiles soulfully at Harvey, ignoring the faint, incoherent noises coming from her grandson. “I’d like to have some great-grandchildren before I go.”

“Okay, that’s it. Gramma, I’ve gotta go.” Mike practically levitates out of his chair, kisses his grandmother’s cheek and walks away as quickly as he can without breaking into a run.

Harvey stands, smiling. “Well, this was fun. I’ll see you again next week, Elizabeth.” He kisses her other cheek, the first time he’s done so. He’s turning away when he hesitates and looks back over his shoulder at her. “I think we should save ‘Gramma’ until after the official engagement.”

He walks away, grinning, to the sound of her laughter.

***

Mike is still in the car park, looking extremely frazzled. “I’m sorry, Harvey. I don’t know where the hell Gramma got such a crazy idea from.” Then he switches from apology to accusation. “And you weren’t helping. Did you have to encourage her? You’re not going to fire me, are you? Because I-”

Harvey’s reached his own conclusions about Mike’s agitation. He thinks about reassuring him, and then decides ‘what the hell’. He catches hold of Mike’s shoulders and pulls him closer, then cups his hands around the back of Mike’s head and kisses him.

Mike freezes, then starts squirming, his arms waving, body twisting, but his lips are warm and firm against Harvey’s. After a moment he stills again and brings his hands up to Harvey’s face, moaning a little in his throat.

And that, Harvey decides, will have to be enough for now, because he’s damn sure Ray’s watching and even though he has absolute faith in Ray’s discretion there’s only so much of a public spectacle he’s willing to make of himself at this point in the relationship. Mike’s disappointed expression brings a smile to his lips. “Oh, don’t give me that look. This is what we’re going to do. Ray will drive us back to Pearson Hardman, and we’ll have a talk to Jessica.” Mike’s eyes widen in dismay. “What, did you think we could just keep this quiet? How long do you think it’ll be before Louis finds out?”

“Oh.” Mike looks distinctly nervous. “I didn’t think of Louis. Or Rachel.”

“Well, fortunately, I did.” He’s not even going to ask why Rachel finding out would be a problem. Mike can deal with that. He’ll deal with telling Donna, though he suspects she’s already anticipated this turn of events. Some of her more enigmatic comments now make perfect sense. “Then, we can go back to my place.”

“That sounds good.”

“It will be.” Harvey smirks and walks away; after a moment, Mike catches up. “I think we can put off discussing the wedding register until the weekend, don’t you?”

He grins all the way back to the car.


End file.
